Contact

phone: +49 1577 577 30 56

based in: Hannover, Germany

represented by: laif

About

Rafael Heygster (b. 1990) is a German photojournalist and artist. He works at the intersection of documentary photography, journalistic research, and artistic image-making. His long-term projects explore, from a humanistic perspective, the staging of political power and the relationship between individuals and their social, cultural, and political environments.

Through careful lighting and composition, his images carry a subtle cinematic quality while remaining grounded in documentary and journalistic practice. The work is not intended to judge, but to observe and invite viewers to reflect on different perspectives.

From 2010 to 2015, Rafael studied cultural anthropology and political science at the University of Hamburg. From 2015 to 2025, he studied photojournalism and documentary photography at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover and at DMJX in Aarhus. Rafael lives in Hannover.

He works with journalistic publications, museums, and commercial clients, and is available for editorial or corporate assignments internationally. He is also occasionally invited to speak at panels, lectures, and public discussions, and teaches photography.

Rafael’s projects have been shown in museums and festivals in Germany and abroad. He has recived numerous awards including the Otto Steinert Prize, Portrait Hellerau Award and a World Press Photo Award.

awards & mentions (selected)

2025 World Press Photo Award, Europe, Stories
2025 VG Bild-Kunst Grant
2025 Befast Photofesitval (shortlist)
2024 true picture award (honorable mention)
2021 Bird in Flight Prize (winner)
2021 Prix SixMois du Photojournalisme (finalist)
2021 Portraits Hellerau Award (winner)
2021 BGW Fotopreis (winner special award)
2021 Acatech Punkt Preis für Technikfotografie (finalist)
2021 PH Musem Grant MainPrize (shortlist)
2021 World Report Award (shortlist)
2021 Copenhagen Photo Festival (shortlist)
2021 Belfast Photo Fesitval (highly commented)
2021 Leica Oscar Barnack Award (nominated)
2020 Marty Forscher Fellowship Fund (winner)
2020 Photo Annual, student category (winner)
2020 Emerge visual journalism grant (finalist)
2020 bird in flight Prize (nominated)
2020 Meitar Award for Excellence in Photograph (finalist)
2020 International Photography Grant (finalist)
2020 Kolga Award, Best Reportage (nominated)
2020 August Sander Preis (shortlist)
2020 Gomma Grant (winner)
2020 Joop Swart Masterclass (nominated)
2019 World Press Photo's 6x6 Global Talent
2019 CPOY, Documentary Category (winner)
2019 CPOY, Portfolio Category (Award of Excellence)
2019 CPOY, General News Category (Silver and Award of Excellence)
2019 Otto Steinert Preis (winner)
2019.IAFOR Documentary Photography Award (winner 3rd prize)
2019 Lensculture Emerging Talent Award (winner)
2019 Leica Oskar Barnack Award (finalist)
2019 World.Report Award, student category (shortlist)
2019 Hahnemühle Student competition (finalist)
2019 Voies OFF Award (nominated)
2019 Der neue BFF Förderpreis (winner 1st place)
2019 Athens photo festival (shortlist)
2019 Verzasca Foto Festival Awards - Nera Prize (selected)
2019 Head On Photo award - Portrait Prize (finalist)
2019 Hellerau Photography award (finalist)
2018 VGH-Award (winner)
2017/18 Pressefoto des Jahres, DJV Bremen, Category: „Business“ (winner)

exhibitions (selected):

2025 “Democracy Dies in Daylight”, Bildbotschaft Hamburg
2025 World Press Photo Award Exhibition, in 80 Countries
2025 Civilisation, Kunsthalle München
2025 Propaganda on a Platter, NOW GALLERY, Berlin
2024 “I died 22 Times” & Corona Rhapsody, biennale de l'image possible, Liege, Belgium
2023 “I died 22 Times”, Leica Gallery, Rencontres d’Arles, France
2022 Helsinki Photo Festival, Helsinki, Sweden
2022 Corona Rhapsody, Belfast Photo Festival, Belfast, Ireland
2022 “I died 22 times” , Festival Circulations, Paris, France
2022 Corona Rhapsody, KCCC, Klaipeda, Lithuania
2022 “I died 22 Times”, Wiesbadener Fototage, Germany
2021 Corona Rhapsody, Gulliver Center, Kyiv, Ukraine
2021 Corona Rhapsody, Neimenster, Luxemburg
2021 Corona Rhapsody, Wissenschaftspark Gelsenkirchen
2021 “I died 22 times” Kulturhaus Mestlin, Mestlin
2021 Corona Rhapsody, Goethe Exil, Hannover
2021 Corona Rhapsody, PHmusem Days 2021, Bologna, Italy
2021 Corona Rhapsody, GAF Eisfabrik, Hannover
2021 Corona Rhapsody, Fotofestiwal Łódź, Poland
2021 Corona Rhapsody, Technische Sammlung Dresden
2021 “I died 22 times”, Ghetto Fighters' House Museum, in Kibbutz Lohamei Ha'Getaot, Israel.
2021 Corona Rhasody, Glocksee, solo exhibition, Hannover
2020 “I died 22 times”, Photo Is:rael, Tel Aviv, Israel
2020 Corona Rhapsody, Athens Photo Festival, Benaki Museum, Greece
2020 “Würde Wahren”, Bauwerkhalle, solo exibition, Oldenburg, Germany
2020 Bird in Flight, Kviv, Ukraine
2020 Corona Rhapsody, International Photography Symposium, Nida, Latvia
2020 “I died 22 times”, LUMIX Festival, Hannover
2020 Corona Rhapsody, Goethe Exil Screening, Hannover
2020 “I died 22 times”, RAW Photo Triennale Worpswede, Galerie altes Rathaus, Worpswede
2020 “Würde wahren”, Galerie im Park, solo exhibition, Bremen
2020 “I died 22 times” IAFOR academic conferences in: Tokyo, Japan / London, UK / Barcelona, Spain / Kyoto, Japan / Hong Kong, China
2020 “Theater des Lebens”, GAF Eisfrabrik, group exhibition, Hannover
2020 “I died 22 times”, Atelier Amore, group exhibition, Dortmund

2019 “I died 22 times”, Galerie Joseph, group Exhibition, Paris, France
2019 “I died 22 times”, Les rencontres de la photographie, Marrakech, Morocco
2019 “Head on Photo Awards Portrait Prize”, group exhibition, PIP, Piango, China
2019 “30 Jahre Mauerfall”, group exhibition, OKS, Berlin
2019 “I died 22 times”, Leica Oscar Barnack Award” group Exhibition, Neue Schule für Fotografie, Berlin
2019 “Steam Machine Learning”, Industrie- & Handelskammer Karlsruhe
2019 “I died 22 times”, Der neue BFF Förderpreis, group exhibition, Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe
2019 “I died 22 times”, group exhibition, VISA OFF/ / visa pour l’image, Perpignan, France
2019 “I died 22 times”, screening, Rencontres d’Arles, France
2019 “I died 22 times”, screening, Rencontres d’Arles, France
2019 “I died 22 times”, Der neue BFF Förderpreis, group exhibition, Umweltfotofestival Horizonte Zingst, Zingst
2019 “Head on Photo Awards Portrait Prize”, group exhibition, Head on Photo Festival, Paddington Town Hall, Sydney, Australia
2019 “I died 22 times” solo exhibition, pretzel 1724, Dresden
2019 “identity courage love”, group Exhibition, Düsseldorf Photoweekend, Düsseldorf
2019 “Aussenseiter - oder doch nicht?”, talk, Sonntags-matinee at World Press Photo Exhibition, Oldenburg
2019 “I died 22 times”, Hellerau Photography Awards, group exhibition, Pumpenhaus, Dresden
2019 “I died 22 times”, “Identity spots”, group exhibition, GAF, Hannover
2019 “Die Diskreditierten", group exhibition, Kunsthaus, Hamburg
2018 “I died 22 times”, solo exhibition, VGH Gallerie, Hannover
2018 “Die Diskreditierten", group exhibition, FC St.-Pauli Museum, Hamburg
2018 “youth in Europe”, group exhibition, Monschau
2018 “Daily Life”, group exhibition, visa OFF / visa pour l’image, Perpignan, France
2018 "Julitage in Hamburg", solo exhibition, Arbeitnehmerkammer, Bremen
2018 "Die Diskreditierten", group exhibition, Millerntorgallery, Hamburg
2018 "G20", group exhibition, Gallerie Speckstrasse, Hamburg
2018 "Die Diskreditierten", group exhibition, DJU Journalistentag ver.di Bundesverwaltung, Berlin
2017 "Die Diskreditierten", group exhibition, La Marmite, Berlin
2017 "G20 in Hamburg - Polizeistaat oder Stadt ohne Polizei?", group exhibition, ver.di, Hannover
2017 "Inside Goethe Exil", group exhibition, Goethe Exil, Hannover
2017 "DAS KAPITAL", Museum der Arbeit, Hamburg
2017 "wir müssen leider draußen bleiben", group exhibition, Gallerie Speckstrasse, Hamburg

talks / lectures / teaching

2025 Talk, Bildbotschaft, Hamburg
2025 Artist Talk, World Press Photo Exhibition, Dortmund
2025 Panel Discussion, experience Day, Düsseldorf
2025 Panel Talk, Vienna, Austria
2025 Artist Talk, Sardinia, Italy
2025 Artist Talk, Arles, France
2025 Panel Talk, NOW Gallery, Berlin
2025 Teaching Photography at Designschule Schwerin
2024 Panel Talk, Deichtorhallen, Hamburg
2024 Workshop, Goethe Exil, Hannover
2024 Panel Talk, Kampnagel, Hamburg
2023 Artist Talk, Leica x DGPh, Arles, France
2019 Artist Talk, Wolrd Press photo Exhibtion, Oldenburg

clients & publications (selected):

AGB Impressum